Jeremy W. Richter, Author at Jeremy W. Richter

About Jeremy W. Richter

I’m Jeremy W. Richter. In addition to authoring this blog, I am an attorney with Webster, Henry, Lyons, Bradwell, Cohan & Speagle, P.C., in Birmingham, Alabama, practicing civil defense litigation and focusing on commercial auto/trucking litigation, premises liability, general business liability, and various other aspects of insurance defense litigation.

Prioritize Timely Communication with Clients

Sep 17, 2019

I continued to be impressed (and not in a good way) with lawyers who fail to prioritize effective and timely communication with clients. They are so busy with the seeming urgency of managing their caseloads that they aren't doing the important work of maintaining their relationships with their clients. When clients feel neglected, even if the reality is that you are competently doing their work, they're eventually going to either start openly looking for another lawyer or be receptive to someone else's advances. And make no mistake, there are always other lawyers waiting to move in on your clients. Timely...

[Appearance] The Importance of Intergenerational Collaboration

Sep 6, 2019

Law firms are often comprised of three generations of personnel. We best serve our clients needs when, rather than assuming generational stereotypes, we use our personal knowledge of each other's personality types and individual experiences to collaborate on projects and provide feedback. This intergenerational communication is the best way to get the most out of each other and promote an inclusive and thriving culture. You can read more about the importance of communicating across generations in my new article in DRI's For the Defense, "Encouraging Words: Feedback, Communication, and Intergenerational Collaboration."

How Good Content Writing Makes Your Website More Effective

Aug 29, 2019

Earlier this year, I did an interview with Karin Conroy of Conroy Creative Solutions about why lawyers should be doing content marketing. We talked about content marketing and its importance to lawyers from a 20,000-foot perspective. So I've asked Karin to come back on the blog to get a little more granular and specific about how good content writing makes your website more effective. We both believe that a good website is client-oriented and causes the reader to burn as few mental calories as possible. Good Content Writing Makes Your Website More Effective Does the content on your website keep...

What I’m Reading in 2019

Jul 30, 2019

Inasmuch as 2018 was a year of personal growth and development for my book choices, 2019 ... is not. Last year, I read books like Ian Cron's The Road Back to You and Susan Cain's Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking. I wrote mini-reviews of all the books I read last year. The tone of what I'm reading in 2019 has been -- it's just been different. And fun. Here's what I'm reading in 2019 In 2019, I've been reading gobs of science fiction and fantasy. I've re-read the entire Harry Potter series and...

What Judges Wish You Knew

Jul 18, 2019

I'm attending the Alabama State Bar's annual conference this week. One of the sessions yesterday was with a panel of judges sharing with lawyers what they wish we knew and did differently. Most of them are pretty straightforward, but the first one caught me off guard. What judges wish you knew and did differently Don’t wear flip-flops to court - this was not gender specific, and I was embarrassed for the entire profession that this needed to be addressed. Don’t use lengthy string cites in briefs without explanatory parentheticals. Judges aren't putting great weight on cases that we don't bother...

Is Your Deposition Outline a Crutch or a Safety Blanket?

Jul 16, 2019

For the first time in 6 1/2 years of practicing law, I didn't take an outline with me to a deposition. It wasn't intentional, mind you. I had my accordion folder with all my exhibits and the documents I'd taken notes on. I just forgot to print my deposition outline before heading out the door. When I got to the office of plaintiff's counsel and began unloading the contents of my folder onto the conference table, I realized I was without my deposition outline. I was immediately flustered by this. But I took a minute and sorted myself out, and...

Happy Anniversary to Building a Better Law Practice

Jul 2, 2019

Over the weekend, my first book Building a Better Law Practice had its first birthday. Of course, I didn't have much time to revel in its launch last year since our second kiddo was born a couple of days later. It was rather a busy few ... months for us after that. Actually, things haven't really slowed down since then. We've just gotten acclimated to how much busier things are with two kids. Nevertheless, it's a book that I'm proud of. I learned a great deal, not only in the writing of the book but also in going through the...

Focus on Processes not Outcomes

Jun 11, 2019

My basement was kind of a disaster. Boxes haphazardly strewn about. Tools and equipment that had not been organized in the last 18 months, despite the best of intentions. Kids toys that had been played with and discarded. A pile of things to take to the landfill. So after months of trying not to notice the mess, I picked up and organized the basement. Now I have a tidy basement. But if I just focus on the result that now I have a clean and well-organized basement, I will turn around in a few months to discover it has devolved...

Authenticating Emails for Use as Admissible Evidence

Jun 4, 2019

Sometimes at trial, the only way to get certain facts or statements into evidence is through the emails that contain them. But this situation occurs infrequently enough that most of us don't know off-hand how to go about authenticating emails for use as admissible evidence. Fortunately, a path has been paved for this in Alabama that makes it clear how we need to authenticate emails. Authentication under Alabama Rule of Evidence 901 Alabama Rule of Evidence 901 provides the requirements for authenticating evidence. The purpose of authentication is to enable the court to be "satisfied by evidence sufficient to support...

Is There Value in Giving Work Away for Free?

May 28, 2019

When I launched my new book, Stop Putting Out Fires a couple of weeks ago, I ran a giveaway in which I gave out free copies of my first book, Building a Better Law Practice. Doing this cost me time, money, and arguably, may have cost me sales from people who had purchased Stop Putting Out Fires and may have later bought Building a Better Law Practice, but instead I gave it to them for free. So what is the upside of giving work away for free? Maybe I’ve instilled more loyalty among my readers. Perhaps I have built up...